Recovery
by KitsunexMaxwell
Summary: He knew that Kevin wouldn’t like this, knew there would be resentment. Kevin and Ben friendship fic. Oneshot. Please read and review.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Ben 10 or the characters. No profit is being made off of this, this fiction was written for entertainment purposes only,

**Recovery**  
by KitsuneMaxwell

Ben Tennyson felt cold inside, empty. He sat in a hard plastic chair and was hunched over; trying to pretend that there was something about his sneakers that was so fascinating. Unconsciously he put his right hand over his left wrist, covering up the watch like device that sat there. He so didn't want to be here, stuck behind this glass where those dark eyes stared accusingly at him.

There was motion in the other room, people asking questions, being poked and prodded as his medical information of his arrival was being documented and although his mouth moved as he answered whatever was asked of him, he never stopped glaring at Ben. The place was a hospital, but there was nothing physically wrong with the youth being admitted, it was for an entirely different matter.

_He hates me for this_. Ben sank even further into his chair. A hand was over his shoulder, he glanced to his right, away from the glass window. His grandfather had a sympathetic look on his face, one that seemed as if he could understand the burden his grandson carried.

"You did the right thing, Ben." It wasn't the first time Max had said that to him today. _I wish I can believe that, Grandpa._But something the ten year old found so hard to believe was that there could be any right about telling on his friend.

He moved his head and slid his eyes back to the youth who held out one of his arms, his blood pressure being tested and recorded. Around his neck, tucked under his shirt was a small bag, it was what made him look human. Ben turned his head to look at his cousin, she stood beside her grandfather and kept her arms crossed in front of her.

"Are you sure they won't try to take his…"

"No." Max replied quickly. "Paperwork has been filed. Trust me, the administrators are well aware of it."

Ben nodded silently, accepting that fact. It wasn't much, really. It… actually, he didn't know what was in it. Gwen did it all herself, because he begged and pleaded her to do it, to do _something_ for his friend. She refused, more times than he could remember until finally she gave in.

x.x flashback x.x

"You are such a doofus, alright! Fine, I'll do it. Just… stop giving me those puppy dog eyes." She glowered at him. "I hate it when you do that." She muttered before turning to her computer and started typing in information.

"What are you doing, dweeb?" Ben asked, frustrated. "I thought you said you were going to help."

"I am, jerk face! I got to do research, alright? You're so not asking for a fireball spell or something like that. You owe me, bigtime." She bit her lip and went back to her concentrating at her laptop. "Ah ha, found something."

"Great! What do we have to do?"

"You, be my work mule and get me the ingredients. It's all you can do, since you don't have a magical aura. And I'll do the rest." He agreed to do it, anything. He had to do something. This was eating him up inside.

x.x end flashback x.x

A nurse opened the door. "We're done with the processing. He wants to see you." Her eyes were on Ben and him alone.

Ben got up on shaky legs; he couldn't believe how weak he felt. His stomach felt like there was something inside it, trying to claw its way out. He hesitated for a moment, glancing up at his red Hawaiian shirt clad grandfather, who caught his eyes and gave him a reassuring nod. The more steps he took towards the door the nurse held open, the stronger he felt.

He looked to his friend, the one who sat in his own hard, plastic chair and swallowed hard. "Hey, Kevin."

"Benny." Dark eyes under dark bangs looked up at him. No glowering or hate. "I heard you had something to do about this." He motioned to the lump under his shirt. "Why?" His eyes narrowed then, trust was never was one of the things Kevin was any good at.

Ben swallowed. "No reason. I'm glad though, that you're going to agree to the rest of the bargain."

"Yeah. I get to look human if I jump through your hoops." His glare let Ben know that the secondary part was not appreciated. "I don't need this." He extended both hands, bringing the attention away from himself and his surroundings.

"I… it's for your own good, Kevin." Ben stammered. He knew that Kevin wouldn't like this, knew there would be resentment. "You got a lot of bad things you need to get through." _Like your parents_. He didn't say it aloud, but bit his lip. "I'll come visit you." He offered, wondering how lame that could sound. Here his friend was getting admitted into a psychiatric ward for teens and all he could offer was lousy visits.

"That would be hard to do if I took you off my visitor's list."

Ben visibly flinched at that. "You could do that, I guess." He quietly said.

"Time to go." The nurse broke in with a smile. She kept talking but Ben wasn't paying attention, there was too much in her words to understand. _Doctors… prescribed medication… therapy. _ She stopped and frowned. "You can't have that." She said, pointing at the padlock he constantly wore. "No jewelry, it's the rules."

"Well you can't have it." Kevin sneered, hunching over and putting a hand over it to keep it to his chest.

"You already signed the papers and you have your first doctor's visit in five minutes." The nurse did not bother hiding the annoyance in her voice.

"I'll take it." Ben offered, looking his friend in his angry eyes. "Not keep it, just take it for now. It's yours, Kevin, you can have it back."

Kevin hesitated. "Better than that bitch, at least you I know." Wordlessly he slipped the necklace over his head and handed it to Ben. "You better give it back, Benny."

"I will." Ben swore, surprised at how heavy the padlock was. He hesitated for a moment, not sure what to do with it before he put it over his head.

Kevin glowered. "It's mine." He reminded Ben.

"Yours." Ben replied. "Just… get better and you can wear it again."

The nurse made a rude, impatient noise. Kevin stood in one graceful movement and stretched before starting through the other door the nurse held, one that lead down a long hallway. One that Ben couldn't follow.

"You'll come? Visit me, I mean?" Kevin hesitated at the door, glancing back at Ben.

"Yeah." Ben agreed the padlock heavy against his chest. "I promise."

Kevin nodded before continuing his way down the hallway. "See you around, then."

**AN:** I don't know if I'll write anymore of these. But I gotta say that I do feel a whole lot better after writing this. Review, won't you?


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